Federal legislation introduced to help proposed business site in Henry County

Federal legislation has been introduced to expedite development of the 736-acre Commonwealth Crossing Business Center in Henry County.

Virginia’s U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Reps. Robert Hurt, R-5th District, and Morgan Griffith, R-9th District, introduced the legislation in both congressional houses on Thursday.

The Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. has been trying to secure a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop the site, hoping to attract manufacturers to the area.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not granted an environmental permit because the county lacks commitment from a company, but economic development officials say a company won’t commit without a permit on the site.

The legislation, entitled the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act, would specify that the lack of an end-user company should not be the reason to deny a Corps permit if all other requirements are met.

The park would be located off U.S. 220 South near the North Carolina border.